Cal/OSHA vote on new condoms in porn regulations expected Thursday Feb. 18th in Oakland

In News by AHF

OSHA Meeting 10:00am; AHF Press Conference & Telecon. 2:00pm

Cal/OSHA Standards Board will host a public meeting on Thursday, February 18 at 10:00 AM in Oakland during which it is expected to vote on proposed changes to clarify OSHA’s Bloodborne Pathogens standards specific to the industry to better protect adult film workers in California.

OAKLAND (February 17, 2016) More than six years after first receiving a petition to amend and clarify California’s workplace Bloodborne Pathogens standards (Section 5193.1) in order to better protect adult film workers regarding the use of condoms in adult films shot in California, the California Department of Industrial Relations, Division of Occupational Safety and Health (Cal/OSHA) Standards Board is expected to vote on the proposed amended regulations during its Thursday, February 18th Standards Board meeting to be held at 10:00 AM in Oakland (Harris State Building Auditorium 1515 Clay Street, Oakland, CA 94612).

The changes to Cal/OSHA’s Bloodborne Pathogens standards will amend the regulations with specificity to the adult film industry and condom use in California film production. The Division made changes in part in response to adult industry complaints that the existing Bloodborne Pathogens standards (Title 8 Section 5193) were not applicable to the billion-dollar California industry, but were instead applicable only to doctors, nurses, and medical settings. Over the past six years, Cal/OSHA hosted six advisory board hearings throughout the state on the issue that were open to the public and had participation of those on both sides of the workplace condom issue.

 

WHAT:   Cal/OSHA Standards Board to Vote on Updated Condom Regulations. Board is expected to vote on updating Bloodborne Pathogens statute (Section 5193.1) specific to condom use in adult film industry.

WHEN:   Thurs. February 18th—10:00am

WHERE: Harris State Building Auditorium 1515 Clay Street, Oakland, CA 94612

WHO:

  • Cameron Adams (Stage name: Cameron Bay); Joshua Rogers (stage name: Rod Daily); and
  • Sofia Delgado (stage name), all of whom became HIV-positive while working in the adult film industry in 2013;
  • Derrick Burts, who became HIV-positive while working in the adult film industry in 2010;
  • Vanessa Blake, (stage name), former adult film performer
  • Rachel Bernard, a former performer featured in the documentary, “Hot Girls Wanted” about the adult film industry
  • Whitney Engeran Cordova, Senior Director, AHF’s Public Health Division
  • Adam Cohen, Public Health Consultant, AHF

To be clear, condom use in adult film production in California—one of only two states in which adult film production is legal—already is required under Cal/OSHA’s Bloodborne Pathogens statute (Title 8 Section 5193); however, the adult industry has largely ignored the regulations on condom use over the past decades with few legal or regulatory repercussions.

As a result, on December 17 2009, AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF) submitted a formal petition to the Cal/OSHA Standards Board to convene an advisory committee to amend the Bloodborne Pathogens Standard (Title 8 Section 5193). In the letter, AIDS Healthcare Foundation requested that Cal/OSHA “…clarify required protections for workers in the adult film industry.”

 

WHAT:   POST CAL/OSHA VOTE PRESS CONFERENCE & TELECONFERENCE–              

                 to discuss Cal/OSHA Vote on UPDATING Condom regulations.

Teleconference Dial in information: +1.877.411.9748 participant code #7134323

WHEN:   Thurs. February 18th—2:00pm PACIFIC TIME

WHERE: Oakland Marriott City Center, The California Room

1001 Broadway St • Oakland • CA • 94607

WHO:

  • Cameron Adams (Stage name: Cameron Bay); Joshua Rogers (stage name: Rod Daily); and
  • Sofia Delgado (stage name), all of whom became HIV-positive while working in the adult film industry in 2013;
  • Derrick Burts, who became HIV-positive while working in the adult film industry in 2010;
  • Vanessa Blake, former adult film performer
  • Rachel Bernard, a former performer featured in the documentary, “Hot Girls Wanted” about the adult film industry
  • Whitney Engeran Cordova, Senior Director, AHF’s Public Health Division
  • Adam Cohen, Public Health Consultant, AHF

 

NOTE: MEDIA CREDENTIALING REQUIRED for the 2:00pm PRESS EVENT

AHF will also be live-streaming the press conference at the Marriott on our YouTube channel:

http://www.youtube.com/c/aidshealth/live

 

AHF CONTACT FOR MEDIA CREDENTIALING:  Ged Kenslea, (323) 791-5526 cell

 

Since AHF’s initial petition to the Cal/OSHA Standards Board in 2009, at least six adult performers became infected with HIV while working in the adult film industry: Cameron Adams, Joshua Rodgers and Sofia Delgado (her stage name), all infected in 2013, and Derrick Burts in 2010. In addition, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) just published a report Friday, February 5, 2016 on HIV infections found in two unidentified male performers; one of the infections were confirmed to be an on-set transmission occurring in late 2014. Since 2009, thousands of additional adult performers have likely become infected with thousands of other sexually transmitted diseases, such as chlamydia, gonorrhea, and syphilis.

“This is really about worker protection, and what the Cal/OSHA Standards Board is for. For the adult industry, the Bloodborne Pathogens Standard already applies; however, the new regulation, Section 5193.1, simply clarifies the existing Standard specifically for the adult film industry,” said Michael Weinstein, president of AIDS Healthcare Foundation.

“It is also important to note that despite claims that these amended regulations infringe upon performers’ free speech rights, both the federal court and the federal appeals court heard all the arguments, and each found that this regulation is, does NOT infringe on performers’ or producers’ First Amendment rights and is in fact, constitutional,” added Whitney Engeran-Cordova, senior director of AHF’s Public Health Division.

AHF Tests 10 Million Clients
AHF Mexico: A community call to Pope Francis for people living with HIV